Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Your 4 year old "corrects" you for misbehavior. Oh how true it is. Savannah has always been a bit wise beyond her years...but yesterday and today she revealed wisdom to both Jeremy and I that really had both of us thinking. Yesterday evening, I was getting dinner on the table and trying to get everything in order and Jeremy was seated at the table practicing his Origami. Savannah turns to him and says, "You should be helping your WIFE, not folding paper!". How do you respond to that?? Yes, she was being way disrespectful...but truth is truth...and when it comes from a 4 year old, it seems to hurt a bit more than usual. Today she was really wonderful while I took an hour long nap. I have her play in Luke's room (which was formerly her room, and now the favored play room for some reason) and listen to stories or music for one hour...mostly for her benefit, but also so I have a break and can take a nap when I need one (which is nearly every day these days). She woke me up after an hour and I was still tired and groggy...we came downstairs and she asked to play on the computer. I said, "Sure" and tried setting up her game for her. I was digging for the cd and some things fell down and I got frustrated and grumbled and shoved them back where they belong (great example, eh??) and she says to me, "Mommy, you don't have to get frustrated when things don't work just right". WOW! Uhhhh....I'm sorry! Thank you, Savannah...sometimes mommies and daddies need that reality check...and when there is no one else around to give it to us, it really hits home when the 4 year old is the only one with her right mind about her!

So I went to the doctor today. Nothing much new to report. The doctor estimates that Luke will be born sometime within the next 5 weeks (I'm due in 3), weighing in somewhere between 6 and 10 lbs. He'll probably be born in the AM or PM, one or the other...and we're guaranteed he'll be born naked and illiterate. How's that for certainty? Honestly, there is nothing to report...my pregnancies tend to go this way...totally predictible, totally boring...and that's the way I like it!

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

We've had some wet weather lately--and a good visit from my parents this weekend--which all together means that I haven't been on the computer too much lately. When I do finally get the kids off of the computer (oh no, another generation of Troyer computer junkies!! EEK), there are so many things I want to check out that I don't make it here too often...mostly due to a lack of inspiration/organized thought! Anyway, here I am. The girls started gymnastics today and it was SO great! If nothing else, it's worth the 45 minutes of smiles that I got today...not smiles from them, but smiles on my face. I didn't stop smiling the entire time. There is just something about watching your children be independent and have fun that is priceless. They got to do all kinds of fun stuff, balancing, jumping on a huge trampoline, climbing, jumping, you name it. It was great! I have a feeling this is going to be a wonderful experience for them. They go once a week for the next 6 weeks, so it'll be a ton of fun to see how they improve with time. I'm trying to decide what to do for the next session. I'm not sure if I'll want them to continue with gymnastics, or if they should give pee-wee soccer a try. I guess we'll see as time goes by.I'm doing well. I'm currently 36w5d pregnant. Only about 3 weeks to go...supposedly! I have a doctor appointment tomorrow so I'll have more to add then. Although other than blood pressure and the such, I'm not sure what other "news" I'll be able to add. I'm opting to not be "checked" this time around with this baby. In the past I've been so eager to have the doctor tell me how dialated I am and all, but after 2 children and 3cm dialation for at least 4 weeks, I now know that that's not an indication of ANYTHING. This time I've decided we'll just take things as they come. It'll definitely be interesting to see when this little one decides to make his debut though...I'm just hoping it's not during a big snow storm like my parents are having tonight!! The whole plan for what is going to happen when I do go into labor is something that makes me a bit uneasy, but I know things will fall into place when it does happen. Jeremy starts a school in a week or so, and it goes until the 23rd of March. I will be able to reach him while he's there, but I'm not sure if missing class will negate any of the work he'll have done for that school...Oh well, it's not like I have any control over that. What's most important to me is that I can reach him and he can get me and take me to the hospital. That's it for now...and since I have my doc appointment tomorrow, I promise I'll update this then. :)

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

I said this to my dad as I was trying to explain exactly how this blogging stuff works. Abby looks at me and says, "What's a blog? A belly button?" Hahaha...you see, my dad just had an umbilical hernia repaired, so this entire weekend visit has been a bit "surgery"-centric. Each morning the girls ask Papa if he "still has his surgery" and he has to show the scar to them so they can check out the progress of his healing. It's rather cute, and very girly since we girls tend to want to care for others. And yes, he's healing wonderfully. It's been a bit tough as the girls can't jump on him, ride on his back, he can't pick them up, etc...but it's good practice for them. They are getting big afterall! Speaking of the funny things kids say, Savannah is very gifted when it comes to language and understanding. I've been looking back at videos where she's 2.5-3 years old and even though she looks much younger, it's still so amazing how well she spoke at that age...but even "gifted" children have their limitations, you know the brain develops at it's own pace!! She hasn't quite grasped figures of speech yet, and her responses are very funny!!The other day she said something to grandma about making a mess and I said, as she sat in her chair with about a billion crumbs underneath, "Look who's talking" and she looks under her chair and says, "there's no one down there", and I said, "No, the mess..." and she says, as she looks with great focus, "I don't hear anything!" Hahahaha...okay, so I guess she doesn't quite get that one yet! The other funny thing was yesterday when she and my dad were playing a Monsters, Inc. computer game for three (YES 3!!) hours yesterday during naptime. There's a part of the game where you're a "Monster Day Care Provider" and you have to keep all of the monster babies happy by giving them toys or changing diapers (good practice for a very soon big sister to be!), and my dad said, "These babies can go fly a kite!", Savannah looks around and around at the toys available to give to the babies and says, "Papa, there ISN'T a kite!!!" Hahahaha...she's just too cute!

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Well, it seems California has finally decided to act it's season! We got a TON of rain today, the girls and I didn't even leave the house. Actually, this evening we all went out and ran some errands, just for something to do. Today I was working on finishing up the decorating in Luke's room. Soon I'll have to take a photo and post it for all to see. It looks pretty cute--Oh sorry, I've been informed by Savannah that boy stuff is NOT "Cute", it's "Nice or Cool". Hahaha...okay, so it looks pretty nice. It's all coming together and it makes me feel good because the stress is diminishing more and more each day. Not that I'm particularly stressed, but I like to have things done so I can just sit back and admire my handiwork. I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the way the kids rooms have turned out...one of these days we'll have to treat ourselves to a room overhaul, now that would be fun!Since we were house-bound today, I was trying to fit in some informal "homeschool" stuff today. I had the girls do a project that turned out really cute. I stapled 2 pieces of paper together to make a book. On the cover I wrote, "My Family". On the inside pages were: "My House", "My Mom", "My Dad", "Abby", "Savannah" and "My Cat, Daisy". I figured it was good reading practice as well as creative expression. Then the girls sat at the table in their room with markers, crayons, pencils, etc. and illustrated their books. Abby didn't quite get it as she hasn't picked up the skill of purposeful artistry yet--her pictures are still mainly scribbles, although she is getting more detail in the faces she draws...but Savannah's book is PRICELESS! Her pictures are too cute. I had her write her name on the back of the book and I dated it as well (I did this for Abby too), and I plan to put it away so one day, years from now, we can look back at what a cute way she illustrated the world around her. It's also a great way to measure progress in drawing/writing skills.Speaking of which, I have subscribed to Wondertime Magazine. Inside the magazine they have something called an "Instant Journal". It's just a sheet of paper with a couple of questions to fill in about your child and then on the back it's got a little project for them to do...then you can pull it out and put it into a notebook as a keepsake. I thought this was a good idea to prompt the children to give their most honest answers--or most candid at least--to random questions. Tonight I asked the girls a couple of questions...their answers were pretty cute.

Q: How old will you be when you get married?A: Savannah--5 Abby--6

Q: Where will you live when you grow up?A: Savannah: In an apartment in the country, or in the house right next to us (for some reason, I don't doubt this one!) Abby: Right next to Papa's House

Q: What country do you live in?A: Savannah: San Francisco (she has yet to distinguish between country, state, city, etc...I guess that should be next on our homeschool agenda!) Abby: She answered yes or no to our prompting on where she lives: USA? Yes, California? No, Novato? No, Our House, Yes!

Q: What kind of pet do you want?A: Savannah: A pet cow named Crystal. Abby: A Strawberry Shortcake Dog named Cupcake.

Q: How many children do you want to have when you grow up?A: Savannah: 5 (after being revised from 76) Abby: 4

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?A: Savannah: An Animal Doctor Abby: A Flower Gardener

The last question sparked a debate about what we should be teaching our girls about their roles as wives and mothers...and that is a whole other discussion! The girls are out of their bath and it's time for me to read them a story and tuck them in! So I'm signing off for now! :)

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Apparently I have 3 baby girls. Tonight I was tucking Savannah and Abby into bed and they wanted to give Daisy a kiss (our kitty). I could NOT find her even though she had just been in the room a second ago. Savannah looked over and Daisy had put herself to "bed" in a little wooden cradle next to Savannah's bed. Silly kitty. I tell you, she thinks she's a real member of this family. She acts like she's the girls sister. No kidding. She and Abby will be playing together nicely and then I'll hear Abby crying and she'll say, "Mommy, Daisy scratched me!". Or I hear Abby laughing and find her doing something not so nice to Daisy. Daisy follows the girls EVERYWHERE and even climbs the metal jungle-gym outside with them. How weird is that? She's definitely a strange kitty, but oh so sweet...and so patient and gentle with the girls. I guess I really am the only mommy she's ever known, I did bottle feed the little thing, so perhaps I truly the mommy to 3 girls and our little boy soon to be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>This morning Abby was exercising her "control" over "her" space by telling Jeremy and I, when she got upset with us, that we're "Not allowed in my room". I of course was let off the hook quickly because thankfully, neither of these girls can stay mad at me very long, but as for Jeremy...well, she went so far as to come downstairs and announce that she was making a "No Daddy" sign. Since she can't write "No Daddy", she just drew a cute little picture of "Daddy" and proceeded to tape it to the bedroom door. It's still hanging there even though she informed him that he could come into her room, he's just not allowed to wake her up.

I had an appointment today...everything still looks great. Baby is definitely head down. My bp is 110/60, my fundal height is 36cm and unfortunately, my weight is up. Let's see, I've gained about 18lbs so far. Much more than I wanted, but you know what? I also don't want to not eat. Not that I enjoy gaining weight, but it's nice to have guilt free food while you're pregnant. Yes, I could be better, but I haven't been horrible, so I'm not terribly worried. I can tell that this is baby #3, because I'm in NO hurry for this pregnancy to be over. With my other two, at 34 weeks, I was so done. I was ready to just have the baby...I know that it could change at any point--especially if I were to get more uncomfortable, but I just couldn't care less if this baby went way overdue. Is that weird or what? I know that as long as he's in my belly he doesn't cry, I get to sleep, I always have 2 free hands. I'm just kinda nervous. I'm not nervous about having a new baby, perse...although it's kinda weird because it seems like forever since I had a baby, but I'm nervous about not being able to give as much of myself to my children. It's not the same feeling I felt with having #2 though. With her I was worried about the emotional aspect of it...you know, "can you REALLY love another baby as much?" Uh yeah...you really can. It's amazing, but I have so much love for each of my babies, I have NO concern about that this time...it's more the idea of disrupting our current "routine" and the way we currently do everything. You know, both of my girls are old enough that they're quite flexible...we can pretty much do anything when we want to right now. If we're out and about until after 2pm, NO WORRIES! No one is going to lose it (at least not completely!). If we don't eat IMMEDIATELY, no one is going to cry from hunger pangs (other than me, that is!). So it's going to be very different. I'm excited about the time of year I'm having this baby though. I was just thinking; when he's born, it'll be the end of March. It'll still be rainy season, etc...but it's okay because I'll be somewhat house-bound anyway because he'll be too little to want to take anywhere...but as soon as we've got a bit of a routine/schedule going (when he's around 2 months), it'll be the end of May, the beginning of summer and warm weather. I can take him outside without worries of it being cold/rainy. The girls can be outside playing and enjoying the weather--and their friends being out of school! And cold/flu season won't be an issue! I thought May was the optimal time of year to have a baby (since Savannah was born May 10th), but I'm thinking that March may be even better!

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

As I said yesterday, I'm finding the need for a good routine more and more necessary, especially as I count down to the arrival of baby #3. Don't get me wrong, I'm not overloaded in any way, shape or form. My job is good and usually fairly easy. My girls pitch in and help a bit and our home is relatively clean--there are always clean clothes folded and put away and my floors get mopped at least once a week, so that's a start. But there is so much more I'd like from my life. Not only for the sake of my own sanity, but for the sake of my children and husband as well. I've had a few days (how sad is that?) where I had my routine down, including having meals planned, and it was amazing how easy and laid back it was. Sadly, I've only done that a handful of times because I don't know, I get distracted I guess. With the inevidible aging of my children, I know I really need to get on the ball with teaching my girls the basic skills they'll need for more "formal" schooling. Just establishing a set 10 minutes here for this activity and 10 minutes there for that activity seems to be just out of my reach. I guess I'm just lazy and undisciplined, but I know those are not listed in the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22)...so I think my most important "goal" for the immediate future is to practice, more whole-heartedly, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit (ironically, this is exactly what our pastor is preaching on currently! Hmmm...isn't God funny?). I know that if I let the Lord order my life, all of the practical "stuff" will fall into place. One day I know that I'll look around and see how far I've come...and know that the Lord is working in my heart, and in the practical things of my life--for the benefit of me AND my family...but for now I'm going to be content with the baby steps I'm able to take, knowing that I will not be this tired and large for the rest of my life! Hahaha! It all goes back to those wonderful "seasons" of life...and accepting where I am at the time, and doing my very best in that particular situation. Praise be to God for keeping me humble and reliant on Him each step of this interesting journey of motherhood and wifehood (is that a word?).

Monday, February 5, 2007

This evening I was clearing the table after dinner, and Abby looked at me and said, out of the clear blue, "Mommy, you're a good mommy!". AWWWHHH...then Savannah said, "Mommy, you're cute!" Wow! All I was doing was clearing the table, but it was a much-needed boost on a somewhat difficult day. You see, the girls had one of those legendarily HORRID nights last night. I don't know what it was, but it was just a bad night. First I could not fall asleep because Luke wasn't moving as much as I would have liked him to. I find that with each pregnancy, I get more and more paranoid about the health and safety of my baby. I've heard too many horror stories to remain naive. Our neighbor lost a baby at 36 weeks gestation last year. It was a very, very sad thing. When I was pregnant with Savannah, I didn't think twice about anything bad happening to her. Miscarriage wasn't even in my vocabulary. It was something that happened to women who had serious health issues or something like that. Then I entered the web community and started "talking" with women from all over the world, and realized that miscarriage happens VERY often. So when I got pregnant with Abby, I worried. But once I hit 12 weeks (the stage when the chances of miscarriage significantly decreases), I was fine and didn't worry anymore. Then I heard story after story of women losing their babies well into their pregnancies and even full-term babies. Then when it happened to our neighbor, it really hit home that it can happen to anyone. God doesn't guarantee any set period of time we get with our children. Even after they're born, we have no control over their lives, their health, their well-being. Yet another thing I need to learn to put into His hands...and trust that He knows all, and has a perfect plan I can't even begin to fathom. But I digress...I was having a hard time falling asleep because Luke wasn't moving as much as I would have liked (Hmmm...maybe he'll be my easy baby and actually SLEEP at night?!?! One can always hope, and pray!). Then when I finally dozed around 12:30 or so, Savannah came in. She told me she had a dream that Brooke (the neighbor's girl) fell into a river and drown. Sheesh, what a nice dream for a little girl, eh? So I prayed, tucked her back in, etc. She was up at least 3 more times after that...she just could not settle. She climbed into bed with me, I know she was hoping she could sleep with me, but hey...at this point, I've got about 2 comfortable positions I can sleep in (if that) and having a child in bed with me does not accommodate those positions to say the least. So I snuggled her, prayed over her, etc...and then put her to bed. She thought it was magic because next she remembers was waking the next morning. (I say Praise God!) If only that was the next thing I remembered...unfortunately when she fell asleep, the games started with Abby. Abby was "scared", then there was something else...then I think I dreamt I took her potty, but that could have been real...who knows when you haven't slept all night...the mind does weird stuff. Anyway, FINALLY she went to sleep, then Jeremy woke up and every small sound he made woke me because I was afraid it was the girls. *sigh* So today, I was very tired...just a little glimpse into life with a newborn again...oh, I'm so not ready!! God please bless me with the ability to handle it!!So when my girls told me that I was a good mommy, it really made my day because today was one of those days where my patience was very limited, my nerves were on edge and I was feeling like a bit less than the mommy I'd like to be. Thank you, Lord for those precious moments with my children that remind me of the sweetness of motherhood, and why it's all worth it. And praise God that even though I'm far from the mommy, wife and women that I would like to be...I'm getting better (by God's Grace) slowly--ever so slowly. Having children definitely develops those fruits of the spirit...but I definitely wish that I would have realized the importance of leaning on the Lord and surrendering to the Spirit CONSTANTLY BEFORE I had children. Another thing I wish I would have developed...ROUTINE. But that's a totally different topic (but if I didn't list it here, I'd never remember that it's a thought I'd like to revisit in the not-too-distant future)

About Me

I'm a homeschooling mommy to my 7 beautiful children. I'm my husbands wife and proud of it. I stay home, take care of my husband, children and home and am COMPLETELY fulfilled as a woman in this uber-domestic life I live. I try each day to follow God's calling and I fail each day. Praise God for His grace and His love...because of that I look forward EVERY day to a new adventure and new blessing. My family is my greatest ministry and each day I pray I do my best.